THE EFFECTS OF CLASS SIZE ON THE TEACHING AND LEARNING OF ECONOMICS IN EGOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF EDO STATE

ABSTRACT 

This purpose of this study was to examine the effect of class size on effective teaching and learning in junior and senior secondary schools in Egor Local Government at Area of Edo State to guide the study, four research questions were raised which are outlined thus: What is the relationship between class size and teacher’ quality of work in senior secondary school in Egor Local Government Area of Edo State? How effective is the policy guiding teacher-student ratio in senior secondary school in Egor Local Government Area of Edo State? What association between class size and effective teaching in senior secondary school in Egor Local Government Area of Edo State? What is the relationship between class size and effective leaning in senior secondary school in Egor Local Government Area of Edo State? Descriptive research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study comprised of two thousand six hundred and twenty-nine students (2,629) in the thirteen (13) secondary senior schools in Egor Local Government Area of Edo State. The sample for the study consists of two hundred (200) students drawn from five (5) secondary schools in Egor Local Government Area of Edo State. The simple random sampling technique was used in selecting the schools from the twenty secondary schools in Egor Local Government Area of Edo State. Forty (40) students were drawn from each school with the use of purposive random sampling technique. The major findings of the study It was revealed that the class size is more than 40 students in class. It was shown that students’ population offering economics are more than 40 in a class. It was seen that teachers are not interested in classroom size and number of students in a class. It was revealed that inadequate learning environment and improper class size make the students to lose concentration from the class. It was shown that teachers with poor qualification cannot adequately and effectively teach the students to the required standard. From the finding of the study, it recommended that teaching qualification must be seen as a pre-condition for entry into the teaching profession. Through the establishment of the Teachers’ Registration Council (TRC) is in the right direction and should be enforced.